


possible miracle cures

by snoopypez



Category: due South
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-10
Updated: 2014-10-10
Packaged: 2018-02-20 14:03:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2431493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snoopypez/pseuds/snoopypez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>(or: four ways Fraser tried to make Ray happy and one way he succeeded)</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	possible miracle cures

**Author's Note:**

> written for [due South Seekrit Santa](http://dsss.crocolanthus.com/archive/) 2009

Everything starts with the buttermilk.

See, Ray's back from Vegas, back from Florida, back even from the trip to St. Louis to buy what seemed like his eightieth Buick Rivera. He's been back for awhile before Fraser and Kowalski return from the wilds of Canada sometime in December, and Ray's glad, of course, because Fraser is his best friend, more than his best friend. And he doesn't see Kowalski much--the guy's taken a job at the 32--but when they do see each other, there aren't any fistfights or horrible insults, so that's good. That's great, actually, and it means things are back to normal, or as normal as things ever are.

Until the day Fraser brings Ray a glass of buttermilk.

Usually he brings coffee to the desk if there isn't any already there, and he sits across from Ray; asks about the case. Diefenbaker ignores them both if he's around, and if he's not, it means he's off with Kowalski. It's almost like a weird custody thing, and sometimes Ray feels a little jealous that the wolf's never around him when Fraser's not, but then he remembers _wolf fur on his suits_ and decides he doesn't mind.

This day, though, Fraser sits down, says "What are we working on today, Ray?" and puts a cold glass in front of him.

Buttermilk.

Ray thanks Fraser, probably sounding more suspicious than he should, and takes a sip. It's not nearly as good as he remembers, so when Fraser is organizing the file cabinet for the fourteenth time, Ray pours it into a nearby plant. For some reason, he just can't bring himself to say anything.

**_two._ **

They're driving back after checking out a crime scene and they decide to stop for dinner. They go to a nearby Thai restaurant Ray likes, and there is--of course--a long wait. Ray does little more than open his mouth to start complaining about the crowd of people before them when Fraser excuses himself politely.

Ray watches, confused, as Fraser goes up to the hostess. Not one minute passes before he turns to Ray, smiling, and gestures. That does nothing but make Ray _more_ confused but he follows--he always follows Fraser--and soon enough they're both sitting at a table.

"Benny? What just happened?"

"Well, Ray, we agreed we should stop for dinner, so we came here and--"

"Do _not_ get all literal on me. I'm asking how you managed to get us a table instead of everyone insisting we wait for five hours like the rest of the world."

Fraser blinks at him and says, "I asked, Ray."

And that's stupid, but if anyone can get away with that, it's Fraser, so Ray shakes his head and orders. Later, he thinks he should have asked _why_ , not _how_.

What's more, the line-hopping actually continues. Any time they're out doing their Christmas shopping, Fraser manages to get them to the front of the lines. It happens without fail, and Ray has _no idea_ how the guy does it, but he wishes Fraser would teach him the secret. He hates waiting in line, especially around that time, when all the crazy people come out at once.

**_three._ **

Ray leaves the station early, drives to the Canadian Consulate. He knows Fraser won't leave a second before he's basically pushed out but Ray's okay with just keeping him company. As much as Ray complains, he _likes_ spending almost every waking moment with Fraser.

When he walks in, he's greeted by Diefenbaker. "Good thing you got that fur coat," Ray says to him, because it feels just as cold inside as it does out. He's in the office with Fraser, who has just darted out for the third time to take care of something when Ray finally realizes he's no longer cold. In fact, it's pretty nice and toasty warm, which is proven by the other Canadians who work there walking past the door sweating and shooting annoyed looks at both Ray and Fraser.

"Uh, Benny? What's with the not-freezing weather in here?" he asks, and Fraser pauses as he sits. His tongue wets his lower lip; he's obviously affected by the warmth, too. There are beads of sweat at his hairline and he's got the sleeves of his uniform rolled up, the top button open--and Fraser _never_ looks so undone, not even in the Chicago summer, and God, it's distracting.

"You seemed cold, Ray."

The truth is that Ray is _usually_ cold, but Fraser never used to take it upon himself to change the temperature of an entire building. But Fraser's been doing things like this a lot, lately, and Ray can't figure it out. He spends more time thinking about Fraser than can possibly be healthy, and most of it is completely innocent.

**_four._ **

The last straw comes when Ray walks out of the station to find Fraser and Kowalski standing in front of Kowalski's GTO. Kowalski looks completely unamused while Fraser practically beams at Ray. Usually Ray loves seeing Fraser so happy, but this is just weird.

"Ah, Ray. I thought we could go for dinner," Fraser says cheerfully.

"What?" Ray starts, wanting to make sense of everything that's been going on. "All of us?" Kowalski scowls, even though Ray doesn't mean it like that.

"Well, no, not as such..." Now Fraser finally looks a bit flustered, his gaze darting to Kowalski, who sighs.

"I'm driving. Get in."

There's a pause as Ray tries to invoke whatever powers of detection got him his job. It's not working, because _what_?

"Okay, what the hell is going on? Why would I want anyone driving me around when I got my own car? And why're you acting stranger than usual? You know anything about this, Kowalski?"

Kowalski scratches the back of his neck, shrugs and huddles against his car like he's trying to turn invisible. He gestures to Fraser, who's the one looking confused now, which is _stupid_ because this is all his fault to begin with. He's not allowed to be confused!

"I thought you would--" he begins, then cuts himself off, thumb on his eyebrow. When he doesn't try again, Ray throws his hands up, frustrated.

"You thought I'd _what_? Look, I can't make any sense of this and it's driving me _crazy_! Did an ice chunk fall on your head back in Canada or something?"

Kowalski snickers at that, then ignores Ray's eye-roll and says, "Y'know, if I'm not gonna be forced to play chauffeur--which I am thankful for, by the way--I'm getting out of here. _Tell him_ , Fraser. Good luck, Vecchio."

He's gone three seconds later and Fraser's left staring wide-eyed at Ray.

"You heard him. Tell me." Ray crosses his arms and waits as patiently as he can, which is not at all. "Okay, it's freezing. Get in _my_ car, then tell me."

**_~~five.~~ one._ **

They're in the Riv, engine and heater running, and Ray's feeling his limbs slowly start to thaw. Fraser starts talking, but it's obviously an attempt at distraction, or possibly an attempt to make Ray want to kill himself, because Fraser's going on about a bunch of moose and a beaver, so Ray bangs his forehead against the steering wheel in his own attempt to _shut Fraser up_.

"--So you see, Ray, the female moose--Ray? Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right?" Ray says to the wheel. "No, I am not all right. I'm _waiting_ for you to tell me why the hell you keep jumping lines, why you turned the Consulate into a sauna, why you seem to think I'd want Kowalski driving me around! You know he'd never let me live that down!"

Fraser doesn't answer at first. He has a tight grip on his Stetson, staring down at it, and Ray's about to try to take it away like he's dealing with his _nephew_.

"I was...trying to make you happy."

Ray isn't sure he heard that right because it just makes no sense. "You--huh?"

"Well, Ray, it _was_ my fault that you had to return from Las Vegas when you did, as you mentioned yourself. I believe your words were: _never waiting in line, always getting the best tables at the best restaurants._ A butler named Nero bringing you buttermilk night and--"

Those detective skills finally decide to work, way past the point it could be called impressive and Ray cuts Fraser off. "Wait. Wait wait _wait_ a minute here. Are you telling me that all this time, you were trying to bring me _Vegas_?"

Jesus. Ray suddenly remembers bitching about those things, way back when. He's never given it a second thought, and here Fraser's been going through his days beating himself up over it. The guy is a glutton for pain and it makes Ray want to hit him and hug him at the same time.

"I...I suppose you could say that," Fraser says somewhat huffily, like he thinks Ray is _cheapening_ it or something.

"Benny. Are you _crazy_?" Ray turns in his seat, trying not to laugh, because that would just piss Fraser off. "You think I'd rather be there? Undercover with the mob--the _mob_ , Fraser--instead of home, spending Christmas with my family? With you?" Fraser finally really looks at him then. "I don't even _like_ buttermilk that much!"

Ray can't help it; he laughs at that. He watches Fraser go from surprised to annoyed to relieved, and now Ray wants to _kiss_ him to see which expression that would get.

"Oh," Fraser says, and Ray laughs harder. He stops when Fraser continues, though. "I thought you were angry." And he looks so _sincere_ , trying to hide his worry over Ray apparently being _angry_ with him. It's ridiculous, and doesn't he know Ray better than that?

"Come on, you know me," Ray says, hand on Fraser's shoulder, comforting. It starts to snow, flakes sticking to the windshield for a second before they melt. "I say things. I'd rather be here any day. Even in the cold."

"Even having to wait your turn to be seated?" Fraser asks. "Because really, Ray, you know how important it is that we remain fair; I haven't been sleeping well, and I took the liberty to write a few letters of apology--"

Ray grins and interrupts before Fraser can start actually tracking down the addresses of every person they cut in front of. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Even then, okay? Just, you know, as long as you're waiting with me."

And maybe that's too much; maybe he shouldn't have said that, because they both freeze. Ray's hand stills, and he didn't even notice he's been rubbing circles on Fraser's shoulder. What is he _thinking_?

But when he starts to move, Fraser grabs for his hand, pulls him back. The look on his face is one Ray's never actually seen before.

"That's why I came back," he says, and it can't be as simple as that, but Ray will take it. In the car, it only seems to get warmer; they move to each other.

And everything starts with a kiss.


End file.
